The present invention relates generally to appliance water valves, and more particularly to a flow control device of an appliance valve which has a lip seal and compressible bypass pads and associated method of making an appliance water valve.
Electrically operated water valves are commonly used in many household appliances such as refrigerator for providing a flow of water to appliance components such as icemakers and water dispensing units. Such appliance water valves are generally controlled by a controller associated with the appliance thereby providing a flow of water, at a predetermined flow rate, for use by the appliance.
Due to the highly competitive nature of the appliance industry, it has become increasingly necessary to reduce costs associated with manufacture of the appliances. As with any type of manufacturing, one way to reduce the cost associated with an article of manufacture is to reduce the cost of the components from which the article of manufacture is constructed. Hence, in the particular case of the appliance industry, one way of reducing the cost associated with the manufacture of a given appliance is to reduce the cost of the components from which the appliance is constructed.
Accordingly, it has become increasingly necessary to reduce the cost of, for example, the water valve which is assembled into a refrigerator. Several problems exist with current assembly methods for appliance water valves which tend to increase costs associated with the valve. For example, heretofore designed water valves are assembled by use of weldments and fasteners such as screws. The manufacturing processes associated with the use of weldments and fasteners are often difficult to control and monitor thereby increasing costs associated with manufacture of the water valve. In particular, the use of fasteners has heretofore been difficult and expensive to automate thereby necessitating a labor intensive manual assembly process for installing the fasteners. Moreover, weldments have typically undesirably required relatively tight tolerances in both component design and assembly techniques thereby necessitating that use of relatively expensive manufacturing techniques to work with such tight tolerances.
In addition to reducing costs associated with the water valve, there also exists an increasing need to increase performance of the water valve. In particular, it is becoming increasingly important for appliance water valves to be capable of providing for a relatively constant flow rate across a broader inlet water pressure range. In particular, heretofore designed elastomeric flow control devices have typically been unable to produce a constant flow rate a relatively low inlet water pressures (e.g. 10-20 psi). As a result of this, certain flow control devices have been designed with features which provide for a bypass flow of water around the flow control device. While these attempts have produced somewhat favorable results at low pressures, the bypass flow of water around the flow control device also exists at high water pressures thereby undesirably providing for a flow rate at high water pressures which exceeds the desired flow rate.
What is needed therefore is an appliance water valve which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks. What is particularly needed is an appliance water valve which is relatively easy to assemble and does not require the use of weldments or fasteners. What is also particularly needed is an appliance water valve which provides for a substantially constant flow rate at relatively low inlet water pressures.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a water valve assembly. The water valve assembly includes a valve component having defined therein a central cavity and a bypass channel. The water valve assembly also includes a flow control device positioned in the central cavity. The flow control device has defined therein a fluid passage and a sealing member secured to an outer periphery of the flow control device. The flow control device is positionable between a first pressure orientation and a second pressure orientation based on water pressure in the central cavity of the valve component. The sealing member is adapted to prevent advancement of water through the bypass channel when the flow control device is oriented in the first pressure orientation. The sealing member is adapted to allow advancement of water through the bypass channel when the flow control device is oriented in the second pressure orientation.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a water valve assembly which includes (i) a valve component having defined therein a central cavity and a bypass channel, and (ii) a flow control device positioned in the central cavity. The flow control device has defined therein a fluid passage and a sealing member secured to an outer periphery of the flow control device. The method includes the step of advancing water through the central cavity of the valve component at a first water pressure level. The method also includes the step of orienting the flow control device in a first pressure orientation such that the sealing member prevents advancement of water through the bypass channel in response to advancement of water through the central cavity of the valve component at the first water pressure level. The method further includes the step of advancing water through the central cavity of the valve component at a second water pressure level. Yet further, the method includes the step of orienting the flow control device in a second pressure orientation such that the sealing member allows advancement of water through the bypass channel in response to advancement of water through the central cavity of the valve component at the second water pressure level.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a flow control device for use in a water valve assembly. The flow control device includes a body having a first face and a second face. The flow control device also includes a sealing lip secured around a periphery of the first face of the body. The flow control device further includes a bypass pad extending from the first face of the body.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful appliance water valve.
It is moreover an object of the present invention to provide an improved appliance water valve.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and useful method of making an appliance water valve.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of making an appliance water valve.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful method of operating an appliance water valve.
It is yet further an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of operating an appliance water valve.
It is moreover an object of the present invention to provide an appliance water valve that is easy to assemble and utilizes relatively inexpensive components.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an appliance water valve that provides for a substantially constant flow rate at relatively low inlet water pressures.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawings.